I came up with the idea for this trip when I was not completely satisfied with the pay schedule for my summer job last year (2009). Why should I work during the summer if the only paycheck doesn't come until August 31? No sir, I'm going to do something else next summer. Something fun. I think I'll go see the Redwoods, and Crater Lake, and San Francisco. Of course, I'll have to take my dog - Macy. I can't leave her for that long. I'll have to drive. I've got all the time in the world. I've got two months. "Oh, you can't do it, it's too much driving," one of my friends said. I have two months. Not only will I do it, I'm going to do it well.
At first, with only three destinations, I was thinking I would only drive four hours a day and then explore the rest of the day. That was before I bought an atlas and started seeing what was out there, and calculating distances. The itinerary is now a lot more complicated and a lot more exciting. Here it is:
Friday June 11 Raleigh to Nashville
Saturday June 12 Nashville to somewhere in Arkansas
Sunday June 13 Arkansas to Oklahoma City
Monday June 14 Ok City to Santa Fe
Tuesday June 15 explore Santa Fe
Wednesday June 16 Taos, New Mexico - stay in an Earthship
Thursday June 17 Taos Earthship
Friday June 18 long drive to Flagstaff, Arizona
Saturday June 19 Sedona
Sunday June 20 Sedona, Arizona
Monday June 21 South Rim of the Grand Canyon
Tuesday June 22 North Rim of the Grand Canyon
Wednesday June 23 Zion National Park
Thursday June 24 Salt Lake City, Utah
Friday June 25 Reno or Lake Tahoe
Saturday June 26 enjoy Lake Tahoe
Sunday June 27 Monterey Aquarium and Santa Cruz
Monday June 28 Santa Cruz
Tues June 29 Santa Cruz
Wednesday June 30 San Francisco. I want to go to the California Academy of Sciences
Thursday July 1 San Francisco. and see the murals in the Mission District
Friday July 2 San Francisco and Sausalito
Saturday July 3 northern California coast
Sunday July 4 Redwoods
Monday July 5 Redwoods
Tuesday July 6 Redwoods
Wednesday July 7 southern Oregon coast
Thursday July 8 Crater Lake National Park Lodge
Friday July 9 Oregon Country Fair
Saturday July 10 Oregon Country Fair
Sunday July 11 Oregon Country Fair / Eugene, Oregon
Monday July 12 drive east across Oregon
Tuesday July 13 Boise, Idaho / Birds of Prey National Wildlife Refuge
Wednesday July 14 arrive Jackson, Wyoming
Thursday July 15 drive north to Yellowstone National Park
Friday July 16 Yellowstone
Saturday July 17 Yellowstone
Sunday July 18 Grand Teton National Park Grand Teton National Park
Monday July 19 Grand Teton NP
Tuesday July 20 drive Wyoming
Wednesday July 21 Boulder, Colorado
Thursday July 22 Boulder
Friday July 23 Boulder
Saturday July 24 String Cheese Incident concert at Red Rocks Ampitheatre
Sunday July 25 Denver
Monday July 26 Albuquerque
August 2 arrive home Raleigh, North Carolina
Now it doesn't look so much like I've got all the time in the world. I even feel kind of rushed. So much to see and only 51 days to do it in. So I started by making a few reservations here and there. Putting a little money down, so that I had a committment to this idea. My friends Seth and Leigh agreed to fly out and meet me in different locations along the way - so I had to figure out when I would be there and if I could actually make it from point A to point B in a given amount of time. I did a load of research. It became my hobby. Now I have to drive. I can't believe the time is finally here.
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I am soooo excited you are doing this! Please call me if you see something amazing, need a friend to talk to or you are going to fall asleep driving! I will miss you but can't wait to hear the stories :)
ReplyDeleteI am really looking forward to seeing you in California Mike! your trip looks AMAZING!
ReplyDeleteI'm so happy you had this experience.
ReplyDeleteIt brought back a lot of memories from when my mom and I did part of those legs several years ago.
I'll be sending your blog to DeEtte.